Business need:

 

SPCA helps protect over 35,000 animals in New Zealand who are sick, injured, abused or simply abandoned every year. In 2019, as SPCA started to embed the new overarching ‘One SPCA’ strategy, they engaged Mantle to help develop purposeful leadership and leaders across the different divisions and in their Centres around the country. The charity also had the key priority of supporting these leaders to become the best versions of themselves.

SPCA Purposeful leadership

 

Our solution:

Mantle designed a practical, purpose-built programme that engaged the broad range of leaders at SPCA – comprising Area Managers, Centre managers, Op Shop managers, Functional managers and team leaders. The design of each training module was underpinned by SPCA’s strategic mission ‘to advance animal welfare and prevent cruelty.’

Leadership development that supports SPCA’s strategic priorities

Led by Mantle’s leadership experts, including Denise Carter and Ruth Donde, the evidence-based development programme supports SPCA’s strategic priorities. While it began as a traditional learning journey (using a combination of face-to-face delivery and online activity), Mantle was able to continue to help SPCA’s leaders to remain effective during the upheaval brought about by COVID-19 in 2020. This saw Mantle easily adapt the programme to a fully virtual experience.

Programme outcomes:

By mid-August 2021, over 170 staff had completed the development programme to become more confident, purposeful and therefore effective leaders. Through surveying participants before and after programme completion, these key people have self-identified measurable improvements in their abilities – including:

  • Confidence and capability as a leader – 16.6% increase
  • Effective collaboration – 15.7% increase
  • Ability to deal with conflict effectively – 12.6% increase
  • Effectiveness in communication – 12.2% increase
  • Ability to effectively deal with change – 12% increase

 

The results of the SPCA’s latest staff engagement survey showed positive improvement in critical areas. Leaders were shown to overwhelmingly:

  • Treat people with respect – 86% positive
  • Live the SPCA values – 82% positive
  • Encourage and be willing to act on suggestions and ideas from their team – 82% positive
  • Communicate the goals and objectives of their team effectively – 80% positive
  • Provide the team with regular, useful and constructive feedback – 76% positive